Solidarity Tax Credit: Quebec Government Rejects Legal Opinion

This is a follow-up to my previous Slaw post on the obligation to register for direct deposit to receive the Solidarity Tax Credit. On November 30, 2011, the Quebec government indicated that it is refusing to end the obligation to register for direct deposit to receive the credit.

Irvin Pelletier, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Rimouski, and opposition spokesman on income and financial matters, stated (translated from French):

In rejecting an amendment to end the obligation to register for direct deposit to receive the solidarity tax credit, proposed yesterday by the Parti Québécois within the detailed study of Bill 32, the Liberal government dismisses the opinion of the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (Human Rights Commission) and prevents many people (often poor or vulnerable) to get money they greatly need.

This happened on the same day that a report of the Auditor General of Quebec, Renaud Lachance (PDF, in French) indicated that the Quebec Government is dealing with its action plan to overcome poverty in a very disorganized and inefficient way. Chapter 2 of the report gives the results of an audit on government actions to combat poverty and social exclusion.

The auditor general stated that the government’s actions to fight poverty and exclusion show that the government:

• Did not provide an accurate nor realistic picture of the real investments made
• Did not specify how to determine the sums to be included in the calculation of the investments announced in the action plans
• In fact, it did not ensure that the sums considered were calculated on the same basis, which would have facilitated harmonization of the various investments
• Showed a lack of consistency in actions taken because of an absence of specific criteria and targets
• Did not meet the deadlines prescribed by law for the submission of reports and notices
• Made it difficult to measure the progress with respect to measures and estimate what remains to be done
• Distributed incomplete and unclear activity reports
• Did not follow up on plans and measures included in the action plans and assessment of results

The auditor general requests that the government give itself specific targets to improve the income and fate of the poorest people in Quebec as set out in the law and action plan. The government has not been held accountable, and needs to be. It must also respect the law and should respect its own set objectives.

Québec Solidaire (a political party) is requesting that the government hold a parliamentary committee to mobilize the population on the central issue to any strategy to combat poverty. The government still refuses to grant the request.